Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley will focus his team on the FAI Cup final this Sunday
Impressive draw from Rovers in Athens
Shamrock Rovers earned themselves an impressive 1-1 draw last night in Athens to score their first points of the European campaign.
Ahead of Thursday’s game Rovers had lost their opening two European fixtures against Sparta Prague and SK Celje respectively.
Coming into the fixture against AEK Athens, they would have been aware that another loss would have put a serious dampener on their aspirations to progress further in the Conference League.
The task was a big one.
AEK are one of the biggest clubs in Greece and recent players who have worn their jersey include former Manchester United striker Anthony Martial, Spurs forward Erik Lamela along with their current frontman, former Real Madrid and AC Milan striker Luka Jovic.
While the stats were certainly not in their favour Rovers gave a spirited performance in the first half with Graham Burke converting a penalty 20 minutes into the game to give them a lead at half time.
AEK dominated possession throughout the game with Rovers getting only two shots the entire match.
Still the Greek side did not truly threaten Rovers due to a mammoth defensive display from the likes of Ballyfermot native Corey O’Sullivan and captain Crumlin’s Pico Lopes.
Luka Jovic would miss the best chance of the game in the 82nd minute with Ed McGinty making his presence in goal making comfortable saves from albeit fairly tame efforts throughout the first hand second halves.
Rovers would be minutes away from securing a famous victory before Danny Grant was penalised for an apparent handball in the box even though it appeared he was in the process of being fouled himself.
Pico Lopes was in action for Shamrock Rovers in Athens. File photos George Kelly
After much deliberation referee Jose Luis Munuera elected to award AEK the foul and Jovic would convert from the spot as the game hit 90 minutes.
AEK would threaten throughout injury time with Jovic coming close again before the final whistle signified that Rovers had achieved a point in Athens.
Before the game all of the Rovers fans would have been delighted with a point however there was a sense of disappointment afterwards that they were denied a famous win due to a contentious decision.
Aside from the points tally the penalty call also cost Rovers financially with the side being awarded a sum of €133,000 for achieving a draw in the group phase.
Had they been awarded the victory this number would have been €400,000.
Manager Stephen Bradley spoke on the decision after the game.
“We’re actually disappointed that we haven’t won the game, and that might sound strange because Athens had so much possession and a lot of shots, but we knew that would be the case before the game. I think the referee has made a terrible decision at the end,”
“I said for so long that seven points will get us really close to qualifying and we needed to get a point off one of the big teams, and for me, this was obviously it.
‘We should have had three. It’s one and now I think we can win two games from our last three and see where that takes us.
“If you had said this before the game, you come here against these and you’ll get a point, I’m sure we would have shook on it. But it’s disappointing that the referee takes it out of your hands.
